J.P. Morgan lifts 2026-end target for S&P 500 to 8,000 on AI, earnings strength

J.P. Morgan raised its year-end target for the S&P 500 index to 8,000 from 7,800 on Monday, citing ‌prospects of solid corporate earnings and rising confidence that AI ‌investments by large hyperscalers would drive faster revenue growth. The new target implies about 3.1% upside ​from the index's last close of 7,757.64 and adds to a growing wave of bullish calls, with at least seven brokerages now expecting the benchmark to reach the 8,000 level by 2026-end. "As elevated backlogs convert into recognized revenue, ‌cloud growth should remain ⁠well supported, helping validate rising AI capex, strengthen order coverage, and further ease ROIC (return on invested capital) concerns," J.P. ⁠Morgan analysts said.